News Corp Australia's sports media arm, News Sport Network, has partnered with UK-based ad-tech platform, Partnerbrite, to improve targeting of sports audiences in digital campaigns.

The collaboration brings News Sport Network's sporting audience and industry relationships onto Partnerbrite's full-funnel platform, which has a growing client base of top-tier brands and sporting brands globally. Partnerbrite is a fan audience platform that allows brands to target audiences through digital campaigns on social, video, and display channels without sports organisations needing to share their data.

"We are excited to join forces with Partnerbrite. We think the product is innovative and could be a game-changer for brands and how they engage with audiences in the sport sector. With our own deep relationships across many sporting bodies as well as with many household brands, we think we can collectively enhance the current way brands invest and leverage their relationships in sport," said News Sport Network Managing Director, Michael Wilkins.

The partnership is set to combine News Sport Network's large sporting audience and relationships with major sports and brands in Australia with Partnerbrite's innovative platform and growing client base of top-tier brands and sporting brands globally.

News Sport Network and Partnerbrite plan to sell their offerings together, work with brands to identify suitable properties in the sports industry to invest in, and work with sporting partners to identify appropriate commercial partners for available categories. Partnerbrite has already made an impact in the UK and US with major clients including Premier League clubs Everton and Crystal Palace, and has begun working with some NFL franchises.

"What makes Partnerbrite so innovative is we can now target rights-holders' audiences, without data ever being shared, putting a more tailored and measurable digital solution at the heart of the sports industry. This solution, including campaigns across paid, programmatic and video content, offer a level of fan engagement that extends beyond the reach of traditional sponsorship methods, and brings sport’s offerings into the new marketing mix where digital is at the forefront," said Partnerbrite Co-founder, Nick Lockwood. "This approach enhances the value of the sports partnership, allowing a full funnel approach and ensures sports fans receive more relevant and engaging content. This is why News Sport Network is the natural partner for Partnerbrite in Australia given their expertise in the industry. It's also apparent we both have a desire to grow our business by focusing on better serving brands and the sporting industry at large."

News Sport Network provides sports fans with access to brands such as CODE Sports, SuperCoach, SuperCoach Tips, KOMMUNITY TV, Racenet and Punters, and encompasses sport content across News Corp Australia metro, regional and national mastheads as well as stand-alone sites.